First of all I need to thank www.HuntingTexasHogs.com for the incredible experience at a great price! 3 days, 2 hogs, with lodging, all meals, guide service, butchering, etc..........$299! Yep, that price is correct. There are many, many hogs on this ranch and the entire experience is first class! My hunt took place in mid-December 2014 and my next one will be in January 2016. It was my first hunt and as such I chose to harvest a medium size feeder hog that I could butcher and freeze in our RV for coming travels. The largest brutal tuskers taken during our stay was 505 lbs., with 2 more over 400 lbs. Mine was 118 lbs. BTW....the grey duck tape on the hog is to mark our ID number for after processing....
I have to say that all the stories about wild hogs are grossly exaggerated. Until butchered they do have an incredible gamey smell, but once butchered and cooled in a locker there is virtually no gamey smell at all. In fact, we cooked our hog several different ways to include Crock Pot Tenderloin, Pork Fajitas, Pitchfork Steaks, and of course.....the hams. This is the last of our hams, the first having been prepared the same way and enjoyed with a good friend of ours in Las Cruces, NM. My only piece of advice on cooking is plenty of seasoning, marinade, or crock pot cooking. The meat when properly butchered has a fairly plain taste and requires lots of 'chef help' to get it where you want it to be. Done properly, it is very delicious! So here we are, late summer in NW Michigan preparing our last WH Ham. We begin with a thawed ham that is injected with Morton's Sugar Cure and then floated in the same brine mix for 2 weeks.
When done remove the ham and dry it, discarding the brine. I rubbed Apple Bourbon Rub on the ham; recipe can be Googled.
I had already lit the fire in the backyard fire pit and gotten a good bed of maple coals going when I skewered the ham on my AusSpit and then place it over the fire.
I have had my www.auspitbbq.com/for several years now and I have to say that it does a wonderful job over any campfire preparing any meat from ribs to chops, to roasts to just about anything you desire.
This is the ham over maple wood after 3 hours. About now I begin to drizzle honey over the ham about once every 45 minutes or so.
This is the ham over maple wood after 5 hours. The meat will be getting close to completion. Which makes it time for the glazing. I like to use a product I found in Central Texas last year.....Peach Habanero Sauce.
A delightful sweetness of peaches curbed with the natural smokiness of Habanero Peppers. A delicious spiciness, but NOT HOT. The ham is further roasted for another hour after glazing. Finishing a ham can be tricky, but the initial brining/injecting of the ham in sugar cure ensures safe results.
After 6 hours remove the ham from the fire, remove the skewer, and place it on a cutting block or plate, allowing it to rest for about 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve. We served ours with corn o' cob and deviled eggs, but individual choices rule. I can't wait till my next hog hunt in January.....Bon Apetite'
